Chapter 14

Torn took out his full access card from Ashelin and held it up to the Palace entrance. He had had it for a while now, but never had a constructive way to use it before now. He and Jak entered the palace, and found no resistance leading to the elevator that took them to the main floor. Torn offered to support Jak because of his weakening wound, but the injured man refused the help and gritted his teeth. He had been through pain ten times as worse before, and the fact that someone he loved was in danger put his pain out of his thoughts.

He's gonna use her as a bargaining chip, you know that, don't you?" Torn said as he stopped and looked Jak in the eyes.

Jak's only reply was a nod, and then he averted his gaze to the elevator entrance. As the elevator lifted them to face the Baron, Torn kept looking at Jak out of the corner of his eye. Jak's usually healthy-looking bronze skin tone was turning a sickly pale color, and he could see the beads of sweat forming on his arms and face. The half-assed tourniquet wasn't doing much to stop the bleeding.

The elevator door clicked open and Jak tensed his grip on the blaster gun that had been loosely held in his left hand. Torn also prepared himself as they cautiously stepped into the hallway and made their way to the Throne room. Torn vaguely remembered the layout, for it had been several years since his KG days. He was about to use his access key again to open the Throne room door before Jak whispered urgently, "Wait!" His ears perked up like an animal's, searching for a faint sound.

Even more so were Jak's senses heightened while injured. Behind the door Jak could hear a struggle. It was a women's voice, but too deep to be Keira's.

"Father, no!"

"Father? Am I still that to you? You've been helping the Underground for years! Undermining me with that Krimzon Guard deserter!" A muffled scream followed it, and the conversation ended when Jak heard a hard smack followed by a thud.

"Ashelin." Jak looked at Torn and saw the same fear he was experiencing take over Torn's usually stoic face. He practically punched the access key to the door's sensor pad.

The doors opened and the Baron's sadistic cackle echoed throughout the enormous room.

"So, it appears you made it past my personal Guards outside…but not unscathed I can see…" the Baron bided his time, and held a dagger up to a limp Ashelin.

Jak scanned the room and almost flinched when he saw Keira. She was laying in the fetal position, no less that a foot away from the Baron's feet. Her hair was matted to her face with dark blood.

Holding a white knuckled grip on his blaster, Jak aimed its laser sights to point at the Baron's face which peeked out from behind Ashelin's drooping head. The sick man was shielding himself with his unconscious, albeit traitor, daughter.

Jak's arm was going numb as his adrenalin flow began to make him disregard any pain, so as to solely focus on the target in front of him.

"And it seems we have a returned visitor here, ex-Commander Torn, is it? What a pity, that you chose to be a freedom fighter when you had promise in the Guard," He spat in disgust.

"That's your own daughter, you freak!" Torn yelled in disbelief.

"She is a treacherous thief, and nothing more to me. Her punishment will be a painful death." He replied smugly, not a hint of remorse lurking in his voice.

Torn clenched his jaw to try to prevent himself from yelling out something emotional, something weak. All Jak could do next to him was keep glancing from Keira to Praxis and back again. They were at an impasse. If they tried to kill the Baron now, he would proceed to murder Ashelin and then Keira right in front of them.

Praxis held a devious grin on his face, knowing their predicament was his protection, and still he went forth with provoking them.

"So, the dark eco hasn't killed you yet, eh, Jak?

Something inside Jak snapped. Visions of Errol and Praxis standing over him, injecting him with the most harmful substance the planet in the Prison Fortress raced through his mind. He felt claws elongating and an animalistic urge overtake him. His monster alter ego wanted out, now. So he let it take its course.

The Baron almost dropped his blade when he saw the creature take form before him, purple lightening cackling over its body. Torn too, was shocked as this frightening transformation. He quickly moved away from Jak's side.

The monster stepped forward towards the dictator of Haven City. In defense, Praxis, shaking, pressed the knife to Ashelin's throat. And there, he made his last and final mistake. His grip on the blade slipped in a nervous twitch. It nicked Ashelin's throat before hitting the ground with a loud clang that threw the anxious silence into a shuffle.

Torn and Jak both swung into action and rushed the Baron. Dark Jak leapt onto the corrupt leader and Torn turned to grab Ashelin away from the scene.

The only hit the pathetic Baron Praxis got in was a sucker punch to the creature's bleeding shoulder, but it was already too late for him. Claws slashed out in pain and quickly brought an end to the hated man's long and damaging reign. The creature that was Jak hovered over its kill for a few moments, heaving and gripping his shoulder.

Torn brushed away the small trickle of blood that had run down the red-haired women's neck, cradling her body on his lap. Then, he looked up at the gruesome sight before him.

"Jak?" He questioned the animal warily.

Its head lifted and it seemed a bit dazed until Torn could see color fading out the darkness. When Jak was fully restored to his former self, he crawled over to Keira, still limply lying on the floor.

Gently, he picked up her head and whispered to her, "Keira? Wake up…Its me…Its Jak…"

He was beginning feeling dizzy from the loss of blood and the fear of Keira's lack of consciousness. Minutes went by as he rocked her in his arms slowly. After what seemed like an eon, he saw her eyelids flicker. She murmured something about her head before he saw her wince in pain and tears trickle down her face.

"Its alright, Keira, I'm here now. And I won't let anyone hurt you again…I promise…" He whispered to her, and she nuzzled feebly closer to his body.

He was about to pick her up and carry her out of the damned Palace when he stood up and blinked, seeing only spots. He swayed unstably, and heard a gruff voice call out his name in warning. Reaching for his bleeding gunshot wound was the last thing he remembered before he hit the cold floor and passed out.